True Friends Never Let You Give Up
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: When a little girl is bullied at school, her friend is always there to cheer her up and encourage her to never give up. Rated T for action violence. Also, fluff and tickles!


**This fanfic is a gift for my good friend Sparkling Lover. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. Ally belongs to Sparkling Lover and I only own Rachel.**

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**True Friends Never Let You Give Up**

Rachel was waiting patiently by the door as she watched for a small girl to come running up the pathway to the mansion. She had just gotten the call from her aunt and uncle that her cousin Ally was heading her way, needing to talk to someone other than her parents.

Rachel sighed. Ally was her adopted cousin and only ten years old, but very smart and bright. She also loved to draw and did her best to make her artwork shine. Many times, their uncle Charlie had proclaimed that Ally was Picasso's protégé, making both girls smile, although he did speak some truth because Ally's drawings were amazing and had won many prizes at the school and town fairs.

But not everyone liked that Ally was smart and a great young artist. Many students at school teased Ally and called her terrible names and one time, one student had ripped up Ally's drawing of a little girl swinging on a swing in the park. Ally had been heartbroken as she had wanted to enter it in the local fair, but now wouldn't have been able to, but Rachel had been able to speak to the teacher and was able to fix the drawing, scan it, and copy it to make it like new and Ally had gotten a blue ribbon for it. She had wondered how Rachel had done it and her cousin had explained the computer scanner that could repair any documents that had been torn up and taped back together and make them look like new, all thanks to their genius uncles.

While an incident like that never happened again, Ally was still bullied and today had been punched in the face by one of the bullies and then had juice spilled all over her. When the principal came and broke up the group, the parents were all called in and Ally had been sent home for the day.

Her parents were upset about the whole incident and went to go talk with the principal and teacher after Ally had asked to go see Rachel and her friends. Both had agreed and the little girl ran the short distance to the Grant Mansion.

Rachel was brought back to the present upon seeing a figure coming up the pathway and she at once recognized her cousin. Opening the door, Rachel caught Ally as the little girl tripped and bumped into her.

"Ally? Are you okay?" Rachel asked, concerned for her little cousin.

Ally looked up at her and Rachel saw that her face was covered in bruises and her eyes red. Making a split decision, Rachel scooped Ally up in her arms and carried her to the bathroom to get the first aid kit as Ally sat in the chair next to the sink. Wildvine noticed the girls when he walked by and he stopped when he saw the little girl's face.

"What happened?" he asked, trying not to let his anger seep into his voice.

"Bullies," Rachel said as Ally sniffled, a few stray tears running down her face. Wildvine quickly went to his room and found a quick-healing salve he had made a long time ago. It healed bruises and burns within a few minutes and he now brought it to Rachel.

"Use this," he said. "It will clear away the bruising."

Thanking the plant alien for his thoughtfulness, Rachel returned to tending the first aid to Ally. "Ally, are you doing okay?" Rachel asked, although she knew her cousin was very upset.

"Not really," the little girl sniffled. "Can I go see Four Arms?"

Rachel smiled at the question. When Ally had come into the family almost a year ago now, she had come up to the Grant Mansion with Rachel and Four Arms had come out of the library, surprising Ally, who had been a little frightened because he was tall and his muscles were huge, but Rachel had reassured her that he was a friend and the Tetramand had ruffled the little girl's hair in affection, making Ally like him immediately. She had even met most of her older cousin's other friends, but liked Four Arms because he spent a lot of time with her and was like protective, surrogate cousin to her.

"I think he's working out right now," she now said, to answer Ally's question. "But I'll let him now you're home."

She then stepped back to see that the bruises were almost healed, thanks to the salve and Ally noticed her face wasn't hurting anymore and hugged Rachel and Wildvine, who both returned her hug before letting her head off to her room that she had there for when she came to visit and getting started on her homework.

Rachel sighed. "This is really getting old with those kids constantly hurting Ally," she said to Wildvine.

"I agree," he said. "If I were those kid's parent, I would make sure they wouldn't be able to sit down for a long time."

Rachel understood her friend's anger. "Well, I guess we can only hope the school and the parents will do that," she said. "I only hope Four Arms can cheer Ally up."

Wildvine smiled. "They're best friends," he said. "And Four Arms has never failed to cheer her up before. It won't be long before she is happy again."

"Yeah, you're right," Rachel smiled before heading off to the training room to let Four Arms know what happened.

He was lifting large weights and showing off to no one when she entered and she couldn't help teasing him. "Nice one, Muscle Man," she said, a hint of teasing in her voice. "Maybe you can lift up the house next."

Four Arms smirked as he set the weights down and grabbed her, making her cry out in surprise as he then held her up over his head with one hand. Laughing, she tried to stay still so that she wouldn't fall and he threw her up in the air a little before catching her in his strong arms. "I don't think I could lift up a whole house," he admitted. "Sections, yes. But the whole thing, no."

Rachel laughed as she hugged him and he returned the affectionate gesture. "So, what's up?" he asked, wondering why Rachel had come in to interrupt his workout.

She let out a sad sigh. "It's Ally," she said. "She came home with a bruised face this time."

Four Arms tensed up at the thought that someone had hurt his little cousin and it took everything to just calm down. Rachel recognized his angry look and continued. "Wildvine and I were able to treat the bruises, but she's asking for you."

He nodded. "I'll go see her right now."

He started to head toward the door when Rachel spoke again.

"Please cheer her up and encourage her, Four Arms," she asked.

"I will," he promised as he then headed to Ally's room.

She was sitting on her bed when he walked through the open door. Her head was bent and the Tetramand could hear her crying softly.

"Hey, kiddo," he said, making her look up at him. He sat down beside her and she held her arms out in the gesture of wanting a hug. He immediately complied, rubbing her back as he rocked her. "Shh, don't cry, Ally. I'm here," he soothed her. It worked as she stopped crying and just rested her head on his shoulder.

After a moment she spoke. "Four Arms, why do the older kids bully me?" she asked.

He thought for a moment before answering. "I don't really know why, Ally," he admitted. "Why did they hurt you today?"

"They were telling me that I should burn my pictures and that I'm a lousy artist and they tried to grab my sketchbook, but I wouldn't let go and that's when they started punching me and calling me names," she said and then sighed. "Maybe they're right. I should quit drawing."

Four Arms froze at that, not believing that she had just said that. "No way," he said firmly, startling her with his statement. "Don't listen to those punks ever again and I never want to hear you say that again. Is that clear?"

Ally looked up and saw that Four Arms was serious and nodded understandingly, but still looked unsure, to which the Tetramand used one of his hands to brush some of her hair out of her face and wiped away her tears. Ally then hugged him again and he returned it just as firmly. "I care about you too much to let you give up," he said to her gently.

"Thanks, Four Arms," she said, sniffling a little. "I won't give up and I'll try to ignore those bullies."

"If they bother you again, you just tell Ol' Four Arms and he'll protect you."

That statement from him made Ally giggle a little, a giggle that turned into a laugh when she felt him start tickling her stomach. She tried to get away, but the alien was too strong.

"The Tickle Monster going to get you," Four Arms teased as he then used all four hands to tickle her. His first set of arms tickled her underarms and the second set tickled her stomach, which were her two ticklish spot.

"HEEHEEHEEHEE!" Ally giggled loudly and then laughed harder when Four Arms sped up the tickling. "Four Arms! S-s-s-s-s-stop!"

"Not for a while, Ally," he said, lifting her shirt to expose her little stomach to his tickling hands. "Cootchie cootchie coo!"

Ally shrieked with louder laughter and giggles when the red alien suddenly leaned down and blew some raspberries into her stomach while tickling her underarms at the same time. She squirmed to get away, but was helpless to escape.

Then, she suddenly began coughing, making Four Arms stop and hold her as she tried to catch her breath again. As was the case with Rachel, if Ally couldn't catch her breath after a bit, she would start coughing. She felt him rub her back to stop her coughing and she soon stopped, snuggling into his warm hug.

"Feeling better, kiddo?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said before yawning and closing her eyes. Four Arms lay down on the large, queen-sized bed and let her sleep on his chest listening to his heartbeat. He then closed his eyes too.

Rachel went up the stairs to go check on Ally. She hadn't heard anything from upstairs for about an hour after Four Arms had tickled Ally and made her laugh, making the other occupants who heard the commotion smile as well.

She poked her head through the open door and stopped at the sight before her, a smile on her face.

Four Arms was on his back sleeping and snoring a little as one of his arms hugged Ally to his chest protectively and she was sound asleep as well, listening to the Tetramand's heartbeat.

Smiling at the cute sight, Rachel grabbed one of the blankets at the end of the bed and covered them both up, closing the door on her way out, pausing for a moment.

"Thank you, Four Arms," she said softly as she then quietly moved away, knowing that everything was going to be alright now.

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**Your true friends are those that stick by you and don't let you give up when others say you can't do things or when the going gets tough and that is the truth.**

**Please leave a review!**

**GoldGuardian2418**


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